Friction drive coiler bases



June 6, 1967 a. w. GOSSETT ETAL 3,323,178

FRICTION DRIVE COILER BASES Filed 061;. 22, 1965 VVINYETORE:

Gasser? BRYANT United States Patent 3,323,178 FRICTION DRIVE COILER BASES Bryant W. Gossett and Maurice C. Henson, Gastonia,

N.C., assignors to Gossett Machine Works, Inc., Gastonia, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 502,045 6 Claims. (Cl. 19-159) This invention relates to textile coilers and more particularly to an improved coiler base adapted to confine a sliver-receiving receptacle for rotation upon or substantially at the floor level of the building in which the coiler is located.

Conventional coiler bases usually are positioned beneath the sliver-receiving receptacles or cans and several inches above theadjacent floor level of a mill; and when the receptacle becomes filled, it is manually lowered to the floor to dolfed position or other desired locations. This operation has proven satisfactory in cases where the filled receptacles were relatively small and light, and where frequent dofiing and attention were feasible. During recent years, however, optimum operating etficiency has demanded the use of progressively larger receptacles in order to store a greater quantity of sliver and accordingly decrease the frequency of doifing. This trend has now reached a point that many receptacles are so large and heavy, when filled, that great difliculty is experienced in dotfing them from the elevated coiler base to the floor level.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel type of coiler base for confining a cylindrical receptacle for rotation substantially at the floor level of a building, in combination with a driving means frictionally engageable with the receptacle periphery.

It is a further object of invention to provide a coiler base of the type described having means for laterally releasing the sliver-receiving receptacle from its confined position.

Some of the objects of invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is aside elevation of a textile coiler with certain portions thereof shown in section, and embodying our improved coiler base and driving mechanism therefor;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a detail view taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral designates broadly a textile sliver coiler, said coiler comprising a coiler head 11, a pedestal 12 and a base 14. A strand of sliver 15 passes in a well-known manner from a carding engine, draw frame or similar fiber-processing machinery (not shown), over guide 16, then downwardly through trumpet 17, between feed or calender rolls 18 and through guide tube 19 of the coiler head 11, and finally into a receptacle 20 in the form of successively connected coils. Inclined guide 19 is mounted upon a tube gear 23, which gear is rotatably suspended as at 24 within the coiler head.

It will be observed that the lower end of guide 19 is eccentr-ically disposed relative to the axis of rotation of gear 23, but rotatable within a horizontal projection of the receptacle 20, the diameter of the circle of the guide outlet being substantially the same or slightly greater than one-half the diameter of the receptacle.

3,323,178 Patented June 6, 1967 The tube gear 23 and its associated sliver guide 19 are rotated by means of a series of interconnected elements comprising horizontal shaft 26, beveled gears 27 and 28, upright shaft 29, and gear 30.

Coiler base 11 comprises a substantially concavo-convex casting 34 having an inside or concave diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of receptacle 20, said concave surface subtending an angle greater than degrees. Casting 34 may rest upon a horizontal surface such as the upper surface of thin plat-e 35 or upon a floor composed of a suitable wearing material. Where a plate 35 is employed as a wearing surface, it is sufiiciently thin to be substantially at the floor level therebeneath but is beveled along the edge thereof as at 35a between the opposite ends of casting 34 so as to facilitate insertion or removal of a receptacle to or from sliver-receiving position from the floor level of the mill.

Receptacle 20 is rotatably confined with-in the concave portion of casting 34 by a fixedly mounted driving means such as roller 38 and a pair of cooperating antifriction means such as rollers 39 and 40. It will be observed in FIGURE 2 that the rollers 39 and 40 contact the outside of receptacle 20 respectively at two points separated by a peripheral receptacle segment subtending an angle of less than 180 degrees, and at the same time the driving roller 38 engages a second peripheral receptacle segment diametrically opposite the first segment. Suitable antifriction means such as casters 36 are fixedly secured to the bottom of receptacle 20 and are adapted to rest upon the floor or upon a plate 35 in the event the latter should be provided.

Base casting 34 includes an arcuate end portion 34a pivotally secured as at 42 for lateral swinging movement about a vertical axis and from bold line position to dotted line position as shown in FIGURE 2. When in the dotted line position, the roller 40 is withdrawn from contact with receptacle 20 so that the latter may be moved laterally from sliver-receiving position preparatory to insertion of another receptacle. During normal operation, however, a spring 47a yieldably urges roller 40 into engagement with receptacle 20.

A latching mechanism is provided (FIGURES 2 and 4) for releasably holding portion 34a in dotted line position, said mechanism consisting of a hook 43 secured to portion 34a for releasable engagement by a lever 44 pivotally secured intermediate its ends as at 45 to bracket 46 mounted on portion 34. A spring 47 yieldably urges one end of lever 44 into engagement with the hook 43 when the arm 34a is in dotted line position. A

Each of the rollers 38, 39 and 40 is laterally adjustable so that the vertical rotational axis of the receptacle 20 may be shifted laterally with respect to the vertical rotational axis of the tube gear 23 thereabove. The rollers 38 and 40 are each rotatably mounted upon one end of a plate 50, said plates being pivotally mounted intermediate their ends at points 51 to base casting 34 and its swingable end portion 34a respectively. Thus each plate 50 and its associated roller may be laterally swung inwardly or outwardly to conform with the desired position of the receptacle, after which, each of the plates are fixed in position by a stud bolt 52 penetrating a slot 53 in the plate and threadably anchored in the base casting therebelow.

Likewise, driving roller 38 is rotatably mounted on a plate 56 which is laterally and angularly adjustable with reference to upright shaft 29 (FIGURE 2). It will be noted that plate 56 has arcuate slots 57 and 58 therein penetrated respectively by stud bolts 59 and 60 which, in turn, are threadably secured in casting 34 therebelow.

Roller 33 preferably is provided with a resilient periphery of rubber or the like for frictional engagement with the outer periphery of receptacle 20 while rotating the 1 (J latter.'Similar resilient peripheries may also be provided on rollers 39 and 40.

Roller 38 is rotated in timed relation to the rotation of tube gear 23 thereabove by a series of interconnected elements (FIGURE 3) consisting of beveled gears 63 and 64, shaft 65, worm 66, and worm gear 67. A bracket 68 rotatably supports shaft 65 and the gear 64 and worm 66 fixedly secured thereon. Bracket 68 is mounted for lateral angular adjustment relative to upright shaft 29 by means of stud bolts 70 penetrating arcuate slots 71 in the bracket and threadably secured in the base casting 34. Thus the interconnected driving elements may be angularly adjusted to conform to the lateral adjustments of driving roller 38 and its associated plate 56 and worm gear 67.

What we claim as new and desire to obtain a Letters Patent of the United States thereon is:

1. In a textile sliver coiler having a fixed base, a rotary member with an aperture therein eccentrically disposed relative to its axis of rotation and centered above said fixed base, a cylindrical sliver-receiving receptacle resting on said fixed base, and means for feeding a continuous strand of sliver through said aperture into said receptacle, the combination of at least one fixed driving means frictionally engageable with the periphery of said receptacle for driving said receptacle relative to said base and said rotary member, a pair of antifriction means separated by a peripheral receptacle segment of less than 180 degrees for normally pressing the receptacle transversely of its axis into peripheral frictional engagement with said fixed driving means, and means for releasing at least one of the antifriction means for movement laterally of the receptacle axis to permit insertion and removal of the receptacle between said pair of antifriction means.

2. In a textile sliver coiler having a fixed base, a rotary member with an aperture therein eccentrically disposed relative to its axis of rotation and centered above said fixed base, a cylindrical sliver-receiving receptacle resting on said fixed base, and means for feeding a continuous strand of sliver through said aperture into said receptacle, the combination of at least one fixed driving roller frictionally engageable with the periphery of said receptacle for driving said receptacle relative to said base and said rotary member, means including a pair of other rollers separated by a peripheral receptacle segment of less than 180 degrees for normally pressing the receptacle transversely of its axis into peripheral frictional engagement with said first roller, and means for releasing at least one of said other rollers for movement laterally of the receptacle axis to permit insertion and removal of the receptacle between said other rollers.

3. A coiler base as defined in claim 2 and further comprising means for laterally adjusting the positions of said fixed and other rollers to thereby shift the rotational axis of said receptacle relative to the rotational axis of said strand guide.

4. A coiler base as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of said other rollers yieldably engages the periphery of said receptacle.

5. In a textile sliver coiler having a sliver guide eccentrically mounted for rotation substantially in a horizontal plane and substantially about a vertical axis, a cylindrical sliver-receiving receptacle disposed beneath said guide, and means for feeding a continuous strand of sliver downwardly through said guide to form successive coils in said receptacle, a coiler base comprising means for confining said cylindrical receptacle in sliver-receiving position and for rotation about an axis eccentric to said first-named axis, said confining means including a pair of rollers contacting said receptacle respectively at points separated by a peripheral receptacle segment subtending an angle of less than degrees, driving means including a third roller frictionally engageable with a second receptacle peripheral segment diametrically opposite said first segment, means for releasing one of the rollers of said pair from its receptacle confining position, and means for latching sa-id last-named means in its released position.

6. In a textile sliver coiler having a sliver guide eccentrically mounted for rotation substantially in a horizontal plane and substantially about a vertical axis, a cylindrical sliver-receiving receptacle disposed beneath said guide, and means for feeding a continuous strand of sliver downwardly through said guide to form successive coils in said receptacle, a coiler base comprising means for confining said cylindrical receptacle in sliver-receiving position and for rotation about an axis eccentric to said first-named axis, said confining means including a pair of rollers contacting said receptacle respectively at points separated by a peripheral receptacle segment subtending an angle of less than 180 degrees, driving means including a third roller frictionally engageable with a second receptacle peripheral segment diametrically opposite said first segment, means for releasing one of the rollers of said pair from its receptacle confining position, said releasing means including a laterally swingable arm for supporting the releasable roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,221,374- 12/1965 Fornes 19-159 FOREIGN PATENTS 150,539 9/ 1920 Great Britain. 954,414 4/ 1964 Great Britain. 375,413 6/1962 Japan.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

I. C. WADDEY, Examiner. 

1. IN A TEXTILE SILVER COILER HAVING A FIXED BASE, A ROTARY MEMBER WITH AN APERTURE THEREIN ECCENTRICALLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO ITS AXIS OF ROTATION AND CENTERED ABOVE SAID FIXED BASE, A CYLINDRICAL SILVER-RECEIVING RECEPTACLE RESTING ON SAID FIXED BASE, AND MEANS FOR FEEDING A CONTINUOUS STRAND OF SLIVER THROUGH SAID APERTURE INTO SAID RECEPTACLE, THE COMBINATION OF AT LEAST ONE FIXED DRIVING MEANS FRICTIONALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID RECEPTACLE FOR DRIVING SAID RECEPTACLE RELATIVE TO SAID BASE AND SAID ROTARY MEMBER, A PAIR OF ANTIFRICTION MEANS SEPARATED BY A PERIPHERAL RECEPTACLE SEGMENT OF LESS THAN 180 DEGREES FOR NORMALLY PRESSING THE RECEPTACLE TRANSVERSELY OF ITS AXIS INTO PERIPHERAL FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIXED DRIVING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR RELEASING AT LEAST ONE OF THE ANTIFRICTION MEANS FOR MOVEMENT LATERALLY OF THE RECEPTACLE AXIS TO PERMIT INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF THE RECEPTACLE BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF ANTIFRICTION MEANS. 